Potatoes Gratin Savoyard

Potatoes au gratin, or scalloped potatoes, are one of my favorite ways to make spuds, because what's better than a casserole of cream, butter, cheese, and potatoes? Well, we found something even better. Yes we did.

Flipping through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", I found this recipe for a casserole of potatoes cooked with butter, beef broth, and plenty of Swiss cheese. The flavor is astounding. It makes regular potatoes au gratin seem bland and boring.

Like always, we did our best to lighten up this recipe. I can't imagine how the French could eat like this every day without an epidemic of heart disease. Maybe French butter is healthier, or something.

Ingredients

6 cups red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/8" thick

4 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup hot beef broth

Directions

Soak the potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes, to remove the sticky starch from the surface. Dry on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10-inch round or 9x12 square casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread half the potatoes in the dish, then dot with half the butter and cheese. Spread the rest of the potatoes on top, and add the rest of the butter and cheese.

Stir together the garlic, salt and pepper, and broth. Pour over the potatoes. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is slightly browned on top.

Serves 6.